A Welsh surgeon has shared what it's like to lose both of his legs. Dr Neil Hopper, who is originally from Aberystwyth but now lives in Truro in Cornwall with his family, has performed hundreds of amputations throughout his career, but never thought he would have to face the knife himself.
In April 2019, Neil lost both his legs after falling ill with sepsis. In a special S4C documentary, Drych: Camau Tua'r Sêr, the surgeon shares the physical and emotional challenges he faced following the amputations, as well as his dreams of becoming a para astronaut.
During the programme, Neil finds out that he has been chosen for the process of recruiting a para astronaut, in other words an astronaut with a disability, by the European Space Agency. In February 2021, a call came from the European Space Agency for people to fill the newly advertised astronaut position for the first time in over a decade, as part of their Parastronaut Feasibility Project.
